Thought Management

Thought Management or Reframing can be a crucial part of managing our stress levels.

We can reframe the content of our thoughts, we can view things in a different manner and see a different way to deal with problems. We can also sometimes realise an opportunity when things don't look bright — or even simply to lessen the burden or stress on our minds.

For example, if we were to view homework as unnecessary extra work, then we would probably not enjoy doing it. But if we reframed the thought to say that homework is practice for upcoming tests or to solidify knowledge, it suddenly doesn't seem as bad as before.

Rationalisation vs Rational Thoughts

Rationalisation is when we rationalise irrational things, and is generally not good as we sometimes view things in an incorrect fashion. This is common during 'overthinking', where we think too much and end up rationalising sometimes irrational things.

Rational thoughts, however, occur when the thoughts themselves are rational and are not a justification that should not be made. Thinking rationally and not rationalisation is important for decision-making and for our cognitive functioning and well-being.

Thought management can be of key importance to managing stress and preserving, maintaining cognitive skills such as decision-making and planning. It can also help alleviate stress in academic and other contexts.